Satire in the Church

In their drama at our Worship Celebration last Sunday, Mike and Tammy Bracken introduced us to the folly of our marriage relationships using satire. The definition of satire is "a literary work in which vices, follies, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt." In other words, like with any figurative language, a person who saw that drama should not take any particular thing done or said too serious except the overall theme that we are really dumb in the ways that we handle our interpersonal relationships in marriage.

In Tammy's script we have no problem seeing the satire in Mike saying that she had never been in the kitchen in seven years (I am sure that she snuck in there a little), or that he had NO idea what a submissive wife looked like. But when the satire turned to 'running to a beer cooler' or 'where to stick a thermometer,' we want to jump back into the literal world and think that maybe they should not have said that. The WHOLE thing was satire and so no one should think that Mike and Tammy or The Bridge support drinking beer in excess or using thermometers as weapons in a marital dispute. NOTHING in that skit was meant to be taken seriously because it was ALL satire. The question is, "Were we irreverent?"

In the midst of creative fun that has a point, we have to be very careful not to disrespect God. God is to be revered; He is to be 'set apart.' We are to be "Holy as He is Holy." The Bridge will never take lightly how serious God is about His Kingdom. The question is, "Did the satire cross the line into disrespect?" If so, we humbly apologize. That was never the intent.

The use of figurative language is always a little dicey. Jesus used it a lot. I cannot tell you how many bad sermons I have heard trying to explain the "camel through the eye of that needle" because the preacher did not understand Jesus' use of figurative language. He directly meant through his hyperbole (exaggeration) that it is impossible for a rich man to set aside his wealth and give a full commitment to Christ to get into heaven. However, at the same time, he shows that it is hugely possible for the rich man to get into heaven because with God all things are possible. These preachers who over exegete that text are really struggling with Jesus use of figurative language. Ken Davis goes so far as to think that the disciples roared with laughter because they understood his hyperbole and his point and probably thought the image of that camel was very funny.
One could make an argument that satire has no place in the church because a "little one" might not get the figurative language and think that The Bridge supports drinking, etc. They just don't understand the satire. That could be a valid argument, but where does that stop? Do the drums whose beat create "sexual passions" come out next? Some think so.